


The Midnight Sky

by Generouslyinnercheesecake



Series: Commish [7]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Cass-Centric, Comfort, Cute, F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Getting Together, Implied Sexual Content, Pregnancy, Romance, Swearing, Unplanned Pregnancy, sfw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27086434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Generouslyinnercheesecake/pseuds/Generouslyinnercheesecake
Summary: Cassandra comes home from Hong Kong with more than she anticipated.Requested by @wombatking on Tumblr!
Relationships: Implied Cassandra Cain/Original Male Character, Stephanie Brown & Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown & Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain
Series: Commish [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855459
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	The Midnight Sky

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I won nothing! 
> 
> Hello! This is posted v, very late but here y’all are! I wanna thank @wombatking on Tumblr once again for the request!! Make sure to check them out!

“How was the trip, Cassie?” Dick asked as he hugged her shoulder to shoulder. Bruce had already taken her luggage away from her side to place it in the trunk of the lavish car.

Cass provided a small smile, but she felt her insides grimace and twist into something uncomfortable. She couldn’t help it when it showed on her expression. “Okay,” she replied shortly, and although Dick opened his mouth as though to protest her sudden close-offed body language, he didn’t say anything other than a reminder that she could always speak to him if she needed to vent. Cass appreciated the sentiment, but knew she couldn’t talk to Dick about such taboo things. American culture was like that. She learned that the hard way.

Bruce slammed the trunk closed. ”Let’s go,” he told her as he ducked under the car door.

Cass smiled at the some amount of normalcy and nodded gratefully when Dick opened the car door for her.   
  


* * *

“Welcome back!” Steph exclaimed excitedly, holding the typical ‘Welcome Home’ sign that was usually used in movies. Tim was standing beside her, stance awkward but welcoming. Cass could faintly hear Alfred and Jason in the kitchen as per the occasional clanging of pots or pans and excited talking.

Cass chuckled, happiness drilling into her head. “Thank you,” she responded simply. Steph grinned in return and threw the poster board across the room, rushing to her best friend to properly greet her with a quirky hug attack. Cass wrapped her tan arms around Steph in return, that happiness turning her brain into a beautiful mush.

Alfred and Jason suddenly emerged from the kitchen. Jason was wearing a frilly apron, an absolutely ridiculous sight for anyone who thought Jason's demeanor matched his heart of gold. “Cassie,” he smirked. His own version of a grin. Sometimes Cass pondered why Bruce and Jason opposed one another so much, with how much they were alike.

Alfred bowed his head, respectful nature unyielding. “Miss Cassandra,” he greeted. “It’s nice to see your bright face again.”

Tim scratched the back of his head distractedly. “It’s good that you’re back...” he trailed off. Then: “We missed you,” he admitted.

Cass’ smile was blinding. She missed this. Being wanted in a purely emotional way, and not in such a physical, aggressive one.

Steph tugged on Cass’ hand, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Let’s go! We gotta talk about what happened!” Cass shook her head fondly, but followed along.

Steph led her upstairs, passing the sweet memories of family nights and mourning one of home people. Cass couldn’t help but think of death as something almost peaceful, however. It was a way for someone to move onto a new life after enduring struggles in their old one. It was a new start.

Steph stopped when they reached Cass’ old room. She dropped her voice, as though what she were about to say was a secret. “You okay?” She asked softly.

Cass stopped in her tracks and stared at Stephanie. She knew she could trust her. She could, genuinely, trust her entire family. But Steph wouldn’t think of it as taboo. Steph understood. She was comforting, like a warm blanket on a rainy night right after patrol.

Cass shifted her eyes to the closed door, and Steph got the message and opened it. Cass’ room was the exact same as when she had left for Hong Kong. Alfred never needed to clean her room. She was independent and grew up knowing she could only depend on herself. It was simply engrained her.

Steph slipped off her shoes, haphazardly kicking them near Cass’ bed. The younger woman stared blankly at her for her messiness, but Steph only gave a cheeky smile. Cass snorted and shook her head, then took off her own shoes, neatly placing them near her door. She moved back to the bed to properly talk to her friend.

“Talk to me, Girlfriend,” Steph said casually. Though, Cass could tell by the tense shoulders and tucked in upper lip that she was anything but.

Cass clenched her jaw, then admitted, “I had sex.”

For her, it was life-changing. Absolutely revolutionary in her head. She had never shared herself with anyone else. She knew that for Steph it was probably the complete opposite, but she knew she could tell her with little judgment. Bruce would’ve looked into who she hooked-up with, Dick would’ve asked her too many questions, and the rest would’ve been angry at the man. There was always Alfred, but Bruce once had to explain (quite awkwardly) that sex and female issues were often hushed in society. Cass sometimes didn’t care, but when it affected people she loved she couldn’t help the guilt of making their relationships strange or awkward.

Steph’s expression seemed to falter, then her face contorted into a smile. “Cool!” She replied, confusion painted on her face.

Cass bit her lip, trying to figure out a proper way to reply. “My first,” she finally said.

Steph’s eyes briefly widened, then she nodded quickly. “Oh.” Her eyes went blank, then after a full minute they brightened again. “Was it good?” She asked hopefully. To be quite honest Steph’s first time was anything but, but she had some hope that Cass didn’t go through what she did.

Cass sighed. “It was after a mission,” Steph gulped. That didn’t sound very promising...or entirely consensual. Cass’ eyes were slowly become teary, and Steph felt a small jab hit her heart.

“Was it consensual?” Steph tried to ask as calmly as she could, though Cass could read her body. She was uncomfortable and incredibly concerned.

Cass nodded. “Unfortunately,” she mentioned, tears beginning to fall freely down her cheeks.

She wasn’t able to mourn in Hong Kong, with being in a vulnerable position with no family nearby. With Stephanie, she could be her true self. Cass leaned into Steph’s side, seeking that small amount of comfort only Steph could give her so liberally. Cass’ family had never been too affectionate.

Steph stroked her dark hair, dread coursing through her cold veins. “Do you wanna talk about it?” She murmured concernedly. If Cass was this upset, it had to have been horrible.

Cass took a deep breath. “I wasn’t thinking,” she admitted, as though disappointed in herself. “He asked multiple times. I said yes.”

Steph’s eyes turned to her friend. They were sympathetic, soft. “But you felt used, after?” She presumed.

Cass simply sobbed harder into her side, and Stephanie had her answer.

* * *

Cass woke up beside Stephanie, her eyes feeling sore and puffy. She looked out the window to see complete darkness. She assumed the rest of the family was on patrol.

Cass snuck into the bathroom to use the toilet. As she washed her hands, bladder now relieved, she stared at herself in front of the mirror. She felt different. She knew for some women they felt no difference after their first times, but she felt...a sort of un-completeness. Stephanie was right: she felt used.

The worst part about it was that she consented to it. She never said no. But as he was atop of her, just as he finished, she felt a feeling of discomfort make her muscles so tense to shaking.

Cass heard Steph’s breath stutter in her sleep, then sighed, feeling some sort of discomfort leave her body. Hearing Steph was always her comfort. Hearing her had always helped her.

Stephanie had helped her in more ways than one.

* * *

A month passed in a blur. Cass had learned to understand that what she did didn't define her with small pieces of advice from Steph. She needed to focus on becoming a better person from it. Like Steph did.

Patrol was the usual: Black Bat was taking down criminals and trafficking rings with her partner and first friend, Spoiler. It felt fulfilling, being with Steph a few times a week. It was like the part of her that felt missing in Hong Kong was fulfilled only with Steph.

“BB,” Steph called her over, and Cass followed. They were at the edge of the Gotham bank roof. Steph pointed to the nearest alley below them. There, men in black masks were muttering quietly to one another, guns strapped to their hips.

Cass nodded once, then silently made her way onto the concrete. She could faintly hear Steph land beside her. Steph did a quick, quiet motion with her hands, then the two women were off. Steph cackled as she heard a man's bone break under Cass' foot, and Cass couldn't help the snicker when one of the men tried to shoot Spoiler only to have been facing the barrel of a gun two seconds later, Steph managing to switch their positions.

The fight was over in less than two minutes, thankfully. Cass had been exhausted these last few days. She tried every method of relieving her sudden tiredness, but nothing was working. Even after a full night of sleep she was still yawning.

Steph turned to her, a manic smile stretched across her bright face, making her blue eyes crinkle beautifully. "Ready to go home?" Steph asked, hands over her hips confidently. Cass sometimes marveled at how much power Steph always held in her body, not just physically but also emotionally and mentally.

Cass nodded, silent and tired as ever, then followed Steph back to the manor. They arrived at the cave ten minutes later, then changed out of their suits into their pajamas. Cass felt her stomach squeeze uncomfortably when she saw the food Alfred had laid out for them fortheir usual post-patrol hunger, so she attempted to avoid simply looking at it.

Steph took a big bite of her sandwich, then asked, mouth full of bread and turkey, "You okay?" Cass wrinkled her nose as she smelled the meat, vomit beginning to rise into her throat. She swallowed it down, then nodded. Steph raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" She repeated, having finished masticated her food. Cass rolled her eyes, and Steph's laugh was twinkling. "I know, I know, I'm acting like Tim...I'm just worried," Steph bit her lip. "You know I love you, right?"

Cass blinked, then a wide smile broke onto her face. She nodded, the smile widening even further. Steph stared back at her, eyes bright and loving. "I will be okay," Cass replied, voice low and assuring. Steph loved that about Cass. She never gave false hope, was always willing to be honest when the situation needed it. Steph could trust her to never lie.

Cass then felt the vomit slithering back up into her throat, incessant and unwilling to die down. Cass' body thrummed then jerked. Steph furrowed her brows, then saw how green Cass' complexion turned. Steph rushed to Bruce's desk to get a trash can, then placed it in front of Cass.

Said woman immediately began vomiting into the trash can, body fevered and unable to stop the onslaught of bile. Steph rubbed her back soothingly and grimaced at the strong smell. Cass' stopped at one point, heaving over with, and sat back to take a deep breath. Her mouth felt dirty and tasted even worse. She hated the feeling of vomit stuck in her throat.

Steph left for a minute, then came back with a glass of water. Cass signed, 'Thank you,' then took grateful sips of the beverage.

After another minute, Steph hesitated, "How long have you been throwing up?"

Cass took a deep gulp, then replied, "Week."

Steph bit her lip, eyes motioning downward into the floor of the cave. "You been feeling tired, too?"

Cass nodded.

Steph groaned, as though cringing at what she was about to say.

"Maybe...maybe you should take a pregnancy test..."

Cass stopped, the glass almost slipping out of her grasp.

"Oh," she breathed out, eyes becoming hazy. She had just accepted that even though she hooked-up with someone in a completely passionless way she was in no way used. Plenty of women have control of their bodies and who they share them with. It's just that Cass wasn't thinking properly of who she was sharing hers with. But if there was a baby...

If there was baby then she could love someone else. Then it wouldn't be for nothing.

"Okay," she agreed. Steph's eyes were too sympathetic for her liking.

* * *

Cass stared at the positive pregnancy test, hand covering her mouth and expression horrified. She didn’t know if it was she was horrified of herself or that assassin, but at the moment she couldn’t care.

She was having a baby. An actual baby that would grow inside her. Take from her.

It would be another person she could love.

She didn’t think when she reached for the phone with unsteady hands, mouth dry as the Sahara desert. Steph’s contact name was blurred with her tears, but she was able to find it and type out a hurried request of her presence. Steph surprisingly responded less than a minute later with an affirmation and a question of if Cass was okay.

Cass didn’t reply. She closed her eyes, the positive pregnancy test tucked into her chest safely, and waited for someone who could understand. She didn't know how she felt.

* * *

Steph had rushed over after her patrol. Cass had obviously been upset over text, and that meant she needed someone. It may not be her, but she could be that person.

Cass was curled up in her bed, sobs barely making noise but yet echoing throughout the room. Steph yanked her shoes off, her cape then floating to the floor behind them. Cass shifted on the bed, turning her body to look at Steph. Her eyes were puffy and red, but a small smile broke out on her face.

Silently, Steph climbed into the bed to embrace Cass. She didn't need to ask to know why she was upset. "I know how you feel," she whispered tearily into her shoulder. Cass' expression crumbled as she began quietly crying again, the only indication of it being the hiccuping of her shoulders.

* * *

They woke up the next morning, peaceful. The sunlight shone through the thick curtains and they could hear the muffled chirping of nearby birds. Steph groaned loudly, causing Cass to stir awake. Cass yawned cutely, the noise making something in Stephanie flutter lovingly. Cass was like that, though. Always making her feel the butterflies bouncing around in her stomach.

Cass bit her lip as she stared at Steph, an orchestra of feelings singing in her chest at the simple notion that Steph was there for her, no matter what. It was comforting in the fact that no one else before meeting Bruce had been there for her like Steph had.

Cass felt the orchestra rise in a crescendo of emotion, and before Cass could think she felt Steph's lips fall onto hers. She, truthfully, didn't know who had first initiated it, but didn't care. Steph's lips were soft and tasted like the cherry chapstick she carried around on patrol. Cass felt a tingle of electricity shock her spine, a temporary paralyzing sensation that she hadn't felt before.

Steph was the first to break the kiss, slowly opening her eyes to see a content Cass. She didn't exactly regret her decision to initiate the kiss, but she felt a sort of guilt knowing that Cass would think she used this to calm her down.

"I didn't-"

"I know," Cass interrupted her. And for the first time in the insane last few days, she felt some sense of relief.

* * *

Steph told her she needed to tell the rest of the family that she was pregnant. She didn't know if she felt annoyed by Stephanie ordering her around, or some sort of reassurance since the other woman went through the same situation.

But Cass had caved in and said she would tell everyone else. She asked Alfred to arrange for the entire family to come to dinner that night to announce something big. She knew the others would think of it as sudden, somewhat disappointing news, but willed herself not to care.

The time between the kiss and the planning of the family dinner was...different. Their hugs had turned into silent kisses and loving complements. Cass was happy. She felt a certain love no one had given her before--a love that was formed after years of them building a strong friendship. It was trust. The explicit, unquestionable trust shared between them. However, there was a small voice of insecurity in the back of her head, declaring their friendship could be nothing more. How was she supposed to love someone, give her full attention when she was emotionally preoccupied with being pregnant and barely knowing the father? She couldn't find it in herself to put Steph in that position, of being a second priority, especially when Cass knew Steph deserved the best.

Steph, faring no better, had always yearned for a relationship with Cass. Their connection was so unique, something she had never experienced even with Tim. However...there was the small voice in the back of her head that remembered her relationship with Tim during her pregnancy, and how it later plummeted. Maybe the relationship was bound to end in shattered pieces of a broken friendship?

So there they both were, after days of planning, the family sat together at the table. Even Duke and Barbara were there. Cass had wanted to make this announcement once. Say it, answer the (note: non-invasive) questions, then that be it.

Dick gulped down the rest of his water, a half-empty plate laying in front of him, when he finally asked, "So what's this all about? The family dinner?"

Cass chuckled quietly to herself. She knew he would ask that sooner or later, and that everyone else was thinking the same thing as well. Steph sat beside her, and it was the shock of her warm hand on her thigh that inspired Cass to declare, "I'm having a baby."

Silence. Alfred was standing near the door leading to the kitchen, the creme brûlée he had made unmoving in his hands. Bruce folded his hands on the table, eyes narrowed as he analyzed his daughter. Trying to tell if this was some cruel joke that she and Steph had concocted, or a half-truth. Maybe she had found a child on the street that she wanted to help? She was his daughter...

Tim stared at her, amazement with a mix of anger shone on his face. Jason, who was beside him, growled out, "Who." 

Cass sighed and Steph facepalmed. Cass turned to give a pleading look towards her...whatever, and Steph complied. "It was someone in Hong Kong."

Dick breathed out, voice careful and compassionate, "Was it consensual?"

Everyone held their breath until Cass answered with a slow nod. Dick seemed to open his mouth to ask another question but was interrupted by Bruce asking, "How long have you known?"

"A week."

Silence.

"Miss Cassandra," Alfred chided, eyes sad.

"Cass," Dick spoke up again, voice teary. It made Cass' chest ache. "You know you could've told us sooner. We won't judge you."

Cass felt the shame bubbling below the surface, her cheeks becoming flushed and stomach dropping. Steph grabbed her hand below the table and squeezed it, a silent yet reassuring way of comfort.

Bruce's expression dropped, apparently not noticing his daughter's current inner turmoil. "Stephanie knows," he concluded, laying back in his chair. Damian seemed absolutely stupefied, Duke was still eating with vigor, Alfred was carefully placing the dessert on the table with a disappointed shake of the head, and Babs' stare was leaking through Cass' very soul. "This isn't a joke," Bruce added as he scrubbed his face with his hands. Steph glared at the man.

"Of course it's not a fucking joke!" A sudden anger took over her, a sudden protectiveness. "This isn't a fucking joke, assfuck!"

Cass softly placed her hand on Steph's own. Something to ground her. Steph paused, looked down at her hand, then growled under her breath. Damian repeated, "There's going to be a baby." He had most likely never been around a baby, and considering the fact that he was just told he wouldn't be the youngest in the household, a part of him was likely heartbroken at the risk of losing everyone's attention. Cass only hoped he wouldn't search for that attention with anger.

"Yes," Cass replied.

Tim stood up abruptly, then left the room quietly, anger radiating from his entire being. Steph scooted her chair out, but Cass stopped her with a single hand. Steph sagged back in her chair. Cass rose from her seat and walked the same path Tim had taken.

He was in the piano room sitting on the bench, face red with held back sadness. Cass, with no greeting given, sat beside him and lifted the fallboard, then the low notes of the piano, messy and disorganized, began to flow throughout the room. Cass didn't have much knowledge of the piano, but continued playing for the sake of Tim, who had needed something to ground him.

It was after two minutes that he first spoke. His voice was barely perceptible in the silence of the room. "Why didn't you tell me first?"

Cass continued lightly tapping keys as she supplied, "Steph would understand."

Tim huffed frustratedly. "And I wouldn't?" Cass could hear the strings of anxiety playing in his voice. "I thought I was your friend," Tim grit out.

Ah, Cass thought to herself. There it is.

Cass stopped playing and leaned onto Tim's shoulder. A rock to ground them both. Because she had just told her entire family that she mistakenly got knocked-up in a completely different country by a person she barely remembered the name of.

"You are my friend," Cass stated. Tim's entire body sagged, as though all the hidden anxiety was finally being released into the world. She may be unsure of a lot of things, but of that she wasn't. Tim was sometimes too selfless, uncaring of his own needs and insecurities, and had more than once broken down at the near notion that he would be abandoned. Cass didn't want to be a cause for the growing of those insecurities.

Tim sniffed. "I'm sorry," Cass whispered into his shoulder. "I'm scared. Steph has been through this."

Tim took a deep breath then bowed his head. Cass knew he had forgiven her.

* * *

Barbara, Dick, and Alfred, surprisingly, were the ones to corner her after dinner. The dining table was vacant save those four. Bruce and Damian had left for patrol, Steph was in her room upstairs, Duke was playing video games with Jason, and Barbara left for her own patrol.

"I must give my congratulations, Miss Cassandra," Alfred said politely, yet sadly. "I apologize if my demeanor was offensive. This was a...shocking announcement." 

Cass nodded, more to herself than anyone else. "I forgive you."

"Do you know if you're gonna...you know?" Dick nudged entirely unsubtly.

Cass took a deep breath and felt her hand rest on her still flat stomach. "I don't know..."

Barbara, with her compassionate eyes and twitching lips, told her, "You don't have to get an abortion even if you don't want it. There's always adoption."

Cass nodded, expression earnest. The room was curtained in silence for a full three minutes before Cass finally admitted, "I want it. I want to love it."

Dick seemed to let out a long breath.

Alfred nodded wisely. "We understand and we will support you in anyway. Whether that be emotionally or physically." A small smile broke out onto his old face. "It will be enjoyable to have another toddler running around here. Lord, we have not had that in decades."

It was so Alfred. So reassuring.

Dick bit his lip, and Cass could tell her wanted to blurt something out. "Yes?" She prompted.

Barbara chuckled when Dick looked up, expression set boyishly. He stuttered out, "I...Are you sure it was consensual?" Cass appreciated the concern, truly, but she was her own woman. She only let Dick continue for his own sake. "Because you seemed kinda upset when we were heading home. When I asked you about how it went...your face...it-" He stopped himself, seeming at a loss of words.

Cass reached across the table to place her hand above Dick's. "I'm okay."

Dick closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again. He nodded.

* * *

It was a week after Cass announced her pregnancy when Steph barged into her room.

"I want you."

Cass' chest fluttered in relief. There was a part that had always known that Steph was attracted to her, just not knowing exactly how far that affection went. "I want you," Cass echoed, a giddy grin breaking through her normally tame expression.

Steph grinned back, bright and completely her. She skipped to Cass' bed. "You want me enough to be my girlfriend? Officially?" Her voice was entirely teasing as her eyebrows wiggled. "Please?"

Cass raised a playful eyebrow. "Officially?"

Steph grinned, all excited and proud of herself. "Don't tell anyone but I've been thinking of you as my girlfriend for a while." Steph's smile stuttered, then she choked out a short laugh. "Is that creepy?" Cass didn't answer and simply stared at her, eyes hooded and hands itching to touch. "Pft," Steph snorted, "Whatever." She leaned forward, and Cass couldn't help but think that this would be one part of her life that she would never regret.   
  


* * *

Bruce had called in an appointment for Dr. Leslie by the end of the month. Cass had given him a deadly glare for starting to micromanage not her only her but the baby also, but she knew it was only out of good intentions. Steph had insisted that she go along to her appointment, and Cass pointedly didn't say anything in return.

She was secretly giddy with the idea of Steph being with her for the entire pregnancy.

Leslie pressed the wand onto her stomach, swirling it around in order to find the fetus. Cass and Steph were focused on the screen, attempting to spot any indication of the clump of cells. After a few more seconds, Leslie stopped on a black blob. She pointed to the blob on the screen, a small smile beginning to form. "And that's your baby..." She said.

Cass felt a loving smile bloom on her face at the evidence of her baby. At the evidence of someone else she could love and cherish. Someone she could raise with Stephanie.

"Sex?" Cass asked.

Leslie shook her head apologetically. "We can only tell by the fourth month. And even then it may change," she informed her. Cass nodded.

Steph stared at the screen sadly. These were the moments that made her think of her little girl that she gave up for adoption. She, truly, never regretted giving her up, but she had occasionally crossed he mind as a cruel way to remind herself of her turbulent origins.

Cass noticed her expression shift, apparently, because she gave her hand a tight squeeze and said, "It was for the best."

Steph took a deep breath. "Now you're having an actual baby," she whispered.

"We'll have a baby," Cass corrected.

Steph felt something in her chest shift, and didn't know if it was a surge of love or fear.

"It seems like you're at the end of the second month," Leslie informed them, then turned her full gaze towards the two women. "Any questions?"

They both shook their heads.

Leslie sighed, nodded, then began packing up the equipment. Steph handed Cass some paper towels to get rid of the ultrasound gel. Once the equipment was packed up Leslie sat back down and scribbled down a prescription for some prenatal vitamins. She ripped off the prescription sheet and gave it to Cass. "This is for some prenatals. Take it once a day and you should be alright."

Leslie hesitated, then asked, "I'm assuming you're not terminating the baby?" Cass nodded. Leslie took a deep breath, though Cass could read that it lacked the judgement that other people would internalize. "I assume you already know to no longer go on your nightly adventures." Steph snorted as Cass nodded. "You want to keep it?" Cass nodded once again. Leslie smiled, caring and serene. "I'm happy for you both, Cassandra and Steph," Leslie mentioned.

Steph figured out what she was feeling in those moments: love.

* * *

"Seriously!?" Tim yelped. "Steph is gonna date the entire fucking family at this point!"

Cass raised her eyebrows and turned to her girlfriend, as though asking, "Really?"

Steph let out a bark of a laugh. "I've only dated you, Timmy. I dunno what you're talking 'bout..."

Tim provided her with a blank stare, causing Steph to let out another set of snickers.

His expression changed, suddenly, onto a more earnest and open one they so very rarely saw. "Have you..." he hesitated. Cass lowered her head, as though saying, 'Continue.' And continued he did, "Told the rest of the family yet?"

Cass shook her head, thick black hair waving around her face.

Tim let out a relieved smile. "Cool," he mentioned, and this time Cass giggled. Steph looked strangely between her girlfriend and ex-boyfriend, but didn't say anything.

"Tell them tonight," Cass informed him, and he nodded along.

Tim didn't hesitate this time. "Do you want me to be there?" Cass nodded. "I don't think they'll mind. We want you to be happy..."

Cass felt grateful tears flood her vision. She sort of felt silly for her hormonal swings, but she also couldn't deny the surge of emotion when she was once again welcomed into the family, as though her questionable past didn't change their perceptions of her. Steph pulled her into a side-embrace, and motioned for Tim to join. He scoffed, but did so.

* * *

Tim was right. As always.

* * *

It was two months later that they finally figured out the sex.

"And..." Leslie trailed off as she stared at the screen, wand still carefully placed on Cass' growing stomach.

Steph joked, "Please don't tell us it's multiples. Cause we're not ready for that." Cass smacked her arm in fond retaliation.

Leslie side-eyed them, a smirk playing on her lips, and for a second Stephanie thought she was genuinely right. Then: "It's a girl."

Cass' face lit up, breath suddenly stolen from her. "Girl," Cass breathed out, a wide, teary grin written on her expression. A girl to love.

Steph whooped. "We need more girls in the fam anyways," she commented, making Cass pull her in for a chaste kiss.

Leslie glanced at the couple, then began printing out the picture. "Congratulations," she said happily, then handed them the ultrasound picture. "I'm sure Bruce will be more than excited." Steph rolled her eyes, and Leslie emphasized, "Even if he doesn't show it, he's a big old softie."

Cass silently agreed with her with a shared smirk.   
  


* * *

The whole family was home when they got back from their appointment.

"Please tell me it's a girl. I was betting with Roy," Jason pleaded. Cass smiled knowingly, her message loud and clear.

"It's a girl!?" Dick exclaimed. He was wearing a ridiculous party hat on his head, as though it were the baby's birthday. Steph openly laughed when she saw evidence that Dick had forcibly shoved a similar party hat on Damian's head.

"It's triplets!" Steph exclaimed.

Alfred shook his head fondly as Cass slapped her arm.

"It's not," she insisted. Everyone in the room let out a relieved breath. "A girl," she announced, her eyes turning soft.

Tim grinned. "We always need more girls in the house. Too much testosterone," he joked lightly. Over time, he had begun to accept Steph and Cass' relationship, though it took many long talks and working around too many insecurities.

"Ugh," Steph whined. "I agree. I'm tired of so many men."

"Oy!" Dick yelped, a bright smile nearly breaking his face. "What's wrong with men?"

Steph turned her exaggerated look of amazement to Cass, who simply shrugged cutely. Steph turned her eyes to Dick again. "Where do I start!?"

Damian rolled his eyes. "Cease this idiocy, Brown." Damian was another person who was slowly changing with the new and shifting dynamics of the household. Cass was right in one way that Damian would manifest the sudden changes in anger, but she appreciated it when it turned out to be anger towards anyone who he believed posed a threat to Cass. "This child shall grow up not only known as a..." Damian grimaced, "girl, but a respected fighter."

Steph glared at him. "Uh. You're not training our daughter, Brat." Cass' face turned loving. Our daughter.

Jason fist-pumped the air. "Fuck yeah! Bitchboy owes me $30!"

"Master Jason!"

"Sorry Alfie."    
  


* * *

The sixth month hit and Cass suddenly forgot how to balance.

Her belly was becoming more and more inconvenient and heavy, meaning she had to adjust her balance completely. Steph lightly teased her about it when she could no longer get up from seats without help.

"Rude," Cass muttered annoyedly under her breath.

Steph kissed her temple. "You know I'm just teasing," she giggled out.

Cass huffed under her breath but didn't say anything otherwise.

Stephanie tugged on her arm. "Let's go outside," she suggested. Cass sighed, causing a piece of her hair to fly forward. Her hair had gotten much longer and thicker with the pregnancy, which annoyed her sometimes.

"Okay," Cass relented. Steph grinned. Every time she saw that expression Cass new she made the right decision.

* * *

They blinked and suddenly Cassandra was 7 months pregnant. Bruce had sent her and Stephanie to a nearby baby store and said they could use an unlimited amount of money.

"What about my college tuition?" Steph asked cheekily, and although Cass could see the amused smile behind his eyes he refused to show it on his mouth.

They got things for the nursery--paint, a crib, a changing table--then moved onto the more general things (i.e., diapers). Steph had helped her pick out the necessities, and they had driven home with a full Mercedes.

Damian, surprisingly, insisted he help with painting and decorating the nursery, translating to him making a mural of the solar system on the ceiling, and though Alfred said he was disappointed with Damian doing so Cass could see the excited gleam in his eye.

Cass threw a thick book on Steph's lap, making her gasp and look up to glare at her girlfriend. "What the hell?" Steph muttered.

"Baby book," Cass gestured to the book. Steph sized up the book. The Complete Book of Baby Names, the cover said.

Steph's eyes turned concerned as she turned her eyes onto Cass. "You should pick her name," Steph stated.

Cass puffed out a frustrated burst of air. "Together," she insisted.

"But-"

"You will be there for her," Cass interrupted her, calloused hands falling on her rounded stomach. "You will help name her."

Steph blinked. Cass was like a tide, unrelenting and passionate in her decisions. They had spoken over the official parentage Cass would put on the birth certificate, and came to the conclusion of leaving the father's name blank. Cass had, quite liberally, said that Steph would be considered her other parents.

Which scared her.

Steph was more than willing to help Cass and the unborn baby in any way she could, but there was always that niggling voice in her subconscious insisting she would fuck it up. She couldn't possibly care for a baby when she had a daughter that she had previously given up. However, over the months she had felt the undeniable pull of her heart when she felt the baby kick. It was a love she felt only for her baby before, when she had enough love in her to give her up.

Steph was pulled back into reality by a small tug on her hand. She felt Cass' hands squeeze her own, a reassuring presence only she and the baby could provide.

"Okay," Steph breathed out, then opened the thick book, beginning to read some names she found appealing aloud.

* * *

  
Cass woke up with a gush of liquid pooling under her stomach. And the only reason she had woken up was the pain that accompanied it. She felt her body tense briefly, waves of pain reverberating throughout her body, then the slow easing of her coiled muscles. Cass took a deep breath to stop her panic, then patted the space beside her. 

Empty.

Cass groaned angrily. She turned her head to look at the bathroom light to see if it was on, but nothing.

Steph was on patrol.

Cass, feeling a inflated sense of anger hit her, shoved the blankets away and snatched the phone off the side-table. She dialed her girlfriend's number to only be on the receiving end of a voicemail. Cass yelped when she felt her muscles tense yet again, the sensation becoming increasingly painful. She had been having mild contractions for a few hours before she went to bed, but labeled them as false ones. The pain had definitely been there, but hadn't been unbearable. Now, however? Now it was.

The young woman, when the contraction passed, dialed Bruce. He was most likely on patrol as well, but she needed to hear his voice.

After three never-ending rings, he finally picked up.

"Cassandra-"

"Labor," she panted out, voice tense.

There was a pause. "I will inform Agent A. In the meantime, breathe. I will contact Spoiler," he informed her. And she was right, she felt some sort of comfort hearing his voice. His plan. Bruce was always so sure of himself. He wouldn't allow her to be in danger even if it risked his life.

She heard the click of the phone hanging up, and took a deep breath. Everything will be okay. Sooner or later-

Alfred knocked on the door. "Miss Cassandra? May I come in?"

Cass felt another contraction building, but announced, "Yes."

Alfred opened the door, suit ruffled yet still managing to remain gentlemanly. "Bruce informed me of the situation." He held out his forearm. "Would you like a brief shower before the delivery?" Cass nodded, then helped herself up, pointedly ignoring Alfred's suggestion of help.

"Very well," Alfred nodded. "I have already alerted Dr. Thompkins. She's on her way along with the midwife," he informed her. She quickly nodded, then stopped to lean on the doorway when she felt the contraction finally start.

She heard the shuffling of Alfred removing the dirtied sheets, the faint sound of the heater warming up her room. Her baby kicking and pushing under her shaking hand. The fear settling in her gut, and the excitement skittering away. Everyone had made sure she was more than prepared, as they bought too many toys for the incoming newborn and helped her with her parenting courses, which Bruce insisted she take. Cass felt the contraction ease, although the beating of her organs did not. She took a deep, relieving breath and trudged on to shower. Her thighs felt sticky and gross under her.

In the shower, she had one more shock of a contraction, the power behind it making her knees buckle painfully. She could feel the walls closing around her, her lack of control of her own body catching up on her. Her body hadn't been hers for months, her very breath no longer being hers. It was intimidating, having to come to that conclusion, especially now, when her body was betraying her own wants and trying to expel the very things she helped grow.

There was also a poeticism to it. The simple notion that she was able to care for someone with no resistance was beautiful in and of itself. Her family had been so used to worrying too much of her that she, with this baby, was able to love somebody with no expectation in return. It was an innumerable amount of love she felt whenever she felt the shifting of a foot under her womb, and the booming of her heart when the spoke to her, and she talked back with a thump of her foot against Cass' bladder.

There was two knocks on the door that knocked her out of her thoughts. No time to think, she told herself. Just do.

"Miss Cassandra?" Was the inquiry she heard behind the thick wood. She could imagine the dripping concern on Alfred's expression, and felt her heart thump louder. This was happening, and she was going to have a baby.

"Almost!" She replied, although she guessed with the door in the way it sounded like a whisper.

"Very well," Alfred responded, voice lighter, although not lacking the same worry. "I have a gown waiting for you on the counter when you're finished." She must have been too lost in her world to hear Alfred open the door, and though that was not usually like her she didn't will herself to care. She had other things to mind.

Cass was out of the shower within the next thirty seconds, rushing to put on the hospital gown before another contraction hit. She knew it was coming soon since it had been too long.

Just as she pulled the gown over her head, the tightening had begun. Cass grunted and held onto the edge of the sink with white knuckles. It had been the worse one yet.

She breathed through it, and thankfully the pain eased when the contraction ended, a temporary but cherished break. Cass opened the door, hair wet and feeling refreshed. Alfred was somewhere else, most likely sorting through laundry for a few heavy blankets.

Cass suddenly heard the heavy footfalls of someone running in the manor, and immediately recognized them as Steph's. Cass opened the door and poked her head out, heart feeling lighter when she saw Steph, hair all disheveled and face red.

Steph saw her still round stomach as she neared her girlfriend. "Well thank fuck you haven't given birth!" She commented. Her eyes shifted guiltily. "Sorry I didn't pick up the call. I had to stop some fucking idiot who-"

Cass pulled her into a passionate kiss, smiles hidden between mouths and teeth clashing though they didn't care. "I'm happy you're here," Cass admitted when they pulled back.

Steph saw the thankful glint in Cass' eye, and her own smile was soft. "Me too."

* * *

"You scared?" Jason asked her as they waited for Leslie to determine how dilated Cass was. They were currently in a makeshift medical room in the manor. Cass had insisted they have the birth in the manor, but didn't want it to be down in the cave's medical wing. 'My baby will not be birthed in a cave made of bats,' she had said, prompting Steph to cackle.

Steph rolled her eyes. "No," she replied, the panic laced in her voice betraying her.

Jason chuckled beside her. She turned to glare at him. "Well, Blondie," he responded, "I wouldn't be worried. She'll be okay."

Steph scoffed, a surge of tears tearing through her, although she refused to let them fall. "It's not the birth I'm worried about," she confessed, the tears falling without her permission. Jason's eyes focused in on her, shocked yet sympathetic.

"The fuck ya' talking about, Steph?" He demanded. Steph wiped the tears away annoyedly. Jason pulled at her hand. "Look at me, Blondie," he ordered, voice hard. Steph shook her head stubbornly, but complied frustratedly when Jason barked out a repeat.

His eyes were fiery. "You will not fuck up this kid, Steph," he assured her, and she felt the tears invade her eyes again. He repeated, "You will not fuck up this kid." Jason let out a short breath. "I know fucked up parents when I see them, and you and Cass are not even close to them."

Steph hiccuped. "But what if-"

"You won't be like your sperm donor," Jason interrupted her, already knowing her concerns. He didn't have a kid, but already knew her train of though. He knew how she felt because he had entertained scenarios of having a family. A chance at a normal life.

"And," Jason continued, "you gave up your daughter for her to have the best life she could. You did what you had to. You need to let it go." Ironic, considering it was him saying it, but they didn't mention it.

Steph felt the hiccups subside. Jason was right. He was completely right. She knew herself, knew she wouldn't fall the habits of her parents. She wouldn't allow her putting her own child up for adoption stop her from having a family now. Nothing would stop her because she loved Cass. She loved this baby, even if it wasn't biologically hers. She would love it as long as she could.

Love meant not intentionally hurting the other person.

Love wasn't her father.

"Thanks," Steph whispered.

Jason sunk back in his chair. "Anytime, Blondie."

* * *

  
Leslie allowed Steph back in the room when she was finished, a relieved expression written on her face. Dick had just come back with some snacks for the three of them. Alfred was stress-cleaning downstairs. Bruce, Tim, and Damian were still on patrol to finish up for the night. 

"What's the news, Doc?" Dick asked as he ripped open a granola bar package.

Leslie replied, "She's eight centimeters. I don't know how she didn't notice her contractions earlier, but it's good she's far along so the labor won't be too long."

Steph let out a long breath. "I'mma go in," she said as she stood up and wobbled her way to the curtain. Leslie nodded.

Steph pulled back the curtain. Cass was cradling her belly, face scrunched and red. Steph felt her heart ache in sympathy. She remembered being in that position, when the contractions became unbearably painful. Steph, with shaky legs, reached the edge of her bed. She provided her girlfriend her hand, and Cass blindly grabbed it, squeezing when the pain surged.

Soon enough, the contraction eased and Cass' head fell on the pillow in exhaustion. She turned her eyes to meet her girlfriend's. "I wanna see her," her hoarse voice managed out.

Steph's smile was scerene. "Me too," she responded, then softly kissed Cass' sweaty forehead. "We're gonna be amazing parents," Steph whispered in her perspiring skin.

Cass tugged her hand, effectively grabbing Steph's attention. Cass' smile mirrored hers. "We are."

* * *

  
"You're almost at ten centimeters, Cassandra," the midwife, Joanne, told her. "Who did you want in the room during your labor?"

The three men had just returned from their patrol, tired yet willing themselves to stay awake. Cass heard Dick when he offered for Damian to use him as a pillow, but the young man insisted he was to be awake when the baby arrived. Tim was bouncing in his seat, sleepiness ignored for the excitement of another family member while Alfred was insisting he eat the cucumber sandwiches he made him.

Cass breathed through the rest of the contraction, hand still locked with Steph's. "Steph. Dad," she responded. Joanne nodded.   


* * *

  
Steph will personally go through all the camera footage just to take a photo of Bruce's face when he first saw her, covered in blood and amnionic fluid. Or, at least pay Tim to do so.

Her cries had reverberated throughout the entire room, strong and beautiful, and Steph knew she made the right decision with Cass. She knew she made the right decision of staying, not letting her fear stop her from making a family.

Cass was crying as well, a flood of emotion rushing through her body. A baby. A daughter. Someone to love and cherish the same way she was when she came to the manor.

She had saved her more than a few times.

After being weighed and checked for any injuries, the baby was cleared as healthy and functioning. Cass' grateful tears had subsided to small hiccups when she was handed her baby, swaddled in a rich yellow blanket. Steph was at her side, stroking her hair absentmindedly as she stared at the little girl.

"She looks like you," Steph murmured.

"Yes," Cass sniffed out.

Bruce got up from his chair, an undeniable proud grin planted on his lips. "May I?" He asked.

Cass nodded. Bruce slowly made his way to the bed, as if he were walking on silk, then held out his scarred hands. Steph snickered when she saw the way Bruce struggled with the proper form on holding a baby, but stopped when she saw the soft expression on his face. She saw how his thick thumb gently swiped across her malleable skin, and knew she was witnessing the old softie falling in love.

Cass tugged at her hand again, a knowing smirk on her face. Steph rolled her eyes as a response to her girlfriend's cockiness, then said, "Alright, old man. Gimme my kid."

Bruce glared at her, though it was ineffective, then carefully placed the baby in her arms.

"Want the others," Cass spoke up. She was staring at the blanket, as though her daughter tucked in it was going to disappear any second.

Bruce nodded, then went behind the curtain to bring everyone in. His heart was beating too fast to comprehend, body alight with love and adrenalin. She was absolutely beautiful, a striking resemblance to her mother making her even more so. It was unnerving for Bruce, having to adjust to the idea that there would be a baby in the manor for the first time in decades. Life as superheroes would certainly be changed by the arrival of a baby, but Bruce couldn't will himself to even be angry or upset about it. Especially when she saw her. Cass' exuberance was shown plain and clear across her face.

"She's born," Bruce announced when he saw everyone else sitting around anxiously.

Dick immediately got up from his seat, the rest of the boys following behind quickly. However Alfred sat as poised as ever despite the antsy feeling bubbling within him. Bruce held a single hand up as a command of silence. "Refrain from being disruptive," he interjected.

Alfred rose from his seat. "Of course, Master Bruce," he made sure to pointedly look at each of the boys.

Tim stepped up and yanked Jason's hand. "C'mon," he muttered and rushed his way behind the curtain.

The six men were packed into the small space, but Cass didn't really care about it being tight. It felt like home. "Tim," she called. Said young man stepped near the bed. Steph had to position his hands just right before Cass handed him the baby.

And. Oh boy. Oh boy. This girl would have everyone wrapped around her tiny finger. Her face was scrunched and red, just like any other baby's would be, but you could also see the distinctly asian features. The almond eyes, the dark patch of hair. The pouty lips.

"We will make you the godfather," Cass interrupted his thoughts.

His hold on the baby almost stuttered. "Wha-"

"If we die, then you have her," Steph explained, quite obviously reveling in a shocked Tim Drake.

Tim rolled his eyes. "I know what a godfather is. But. Are you guys sure?" He hesitated. Steph turned to Cass, who simply nodded wisely.

"You've helped," Cass said simply, causing Tim to purse his lips tearily. He handed the baby to Jason, who of course didn't even need to be corrected on his form, then launched himself into Steph's arms.

Her arms wrapped around his waist, tight and comforting. Eventually, she felt him pull away, sniffing almost completely silent. "What's her name?" Tim asked.

Steph and Cass glanced at each other, eyes meeting briefly. Cass nodded once. Steph took a deep breath, a smile still plastered on her face, then replied.

"Luna Brown Cain-Wayne."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you sm for reading! Please leave a comment if you can!


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